Illinois 2025 Laws: Complete List of Changes for the New Year
With 2025 fast approaching, many will be wondering what the new year will bring. For those in Illinois, hundreds of new laws are set to take effect — some of which could have big impacts on residents. According to the Illinois General Assembly’s website, at least 293 new laws will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. They cover a wide variety of topics, including health insurance, employees’ and employers’ rights, travel changes, and even potential driver’s license adjustments. For those looking for the full list of nearly 300 laws taking effect in Illinois for 2025, click here.
Health and Wellness
Insurance Changes:
HB 2350 – Requires companies in Illinois that provide health insurance to cover annual prostate cancer screenings, cervical smears, or Pap smears for all insured individuals, regardless of gender.
HB 2443 – Requires that new insurance plans must provide coverage for medically necessary hearing instruments and related services for all individuals, not just those under the age of 18.
HB 3639 – Requires insurance companies to limit the total price of a twin-pack of medically necessary epinephrine injectors to $60 or less.
HB 4460 – Requires insurance programs to provide coverage for mental health therapy services to police officers, members of self-insured fire protection districts, and any spouse or partner of members of those fields.
HB 4789 – Dental insurance companies will be prohibited from denying claims on procedures that were subject to prior authorization unless specific criteria are met.
HB 5258 – Requires insurance companies to make dependent coverage available to qualifying parents or stepparents of the insured if they meet the definition of a “qualifying relative” under federal law.
HB 5395 – A wide-ranging medical insurance reform bill that prohibits companies from denying claims and persuading patients to opt for low-cost alternatives for treatments. It also outlaws “step therapy,” where patients have to use cheaper drugs before being approved for more expensive ones. The bill also prohibits the sale of limited-duration medical insurance coverage that doesn’t meet minimum standards established by the federal Affordable Care Act.
SB 2195 – Requires insurance companies to cover a prosthetic or custom orthotic device that is “medically necessary for the enrollee to perform physical activities, such as running, biking, swimming, and lifting weights.”
SB 2641 – Insurance companies will be required to show that each in-network hospital has at least one radiologist, pathologist, anesthesiologist, and ER physician as a preferred provider.
SB 2697 – Requires insurance and Medicaid to cover genetic cancer screening and testing for high-risk patients.
SB 2735 – Bill requires that no insurer, health organization, or managed care plan should charge a fee for physicians to receive reimbursements for services provided to insured patients.
SB 2744 – Requires insurance companies to cover vaccine administration fees, regardless of the type of provider administering the vaccine, without copay or deductible.
SB 3203 – Insurance companies cannot deny coverage for life-saving inhalers and must establish a cap of $25 for a 30-day inhaler supply.
SB 3318 – Insurance plans for state employees will be required to cover all FDA-approved treatments of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as medications prescribed to slow the disease.
SB 3351 – Elderly parents of adult children with disabilities will now have the right to live in larger subsidized housing with more than one bedroom.
SB 3538 – Certain insurance plans will be required to cover mental health counseling for first responders.
SB 3599 – Insurance companies must cover necessary “mobile integrated health care services” for frequent users of emergency hospital care.
Reproductive Health:
HB 4819 – The Department of Corrections will be required to build lactation rooms for employees in their facilities.
HB 4867 – Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, a person has freedom from unlawful discrimination in making reproductive health decisions.
HB 5142 – The “Birth Equity Act” provisions pertaining to requiring some insurance policies to cover services of doulas and midwives will take effect on Jan. 1. Other provisions of the bill will not take effect until Jan. 2026.
HB 5643 – Private insurance and Medicaid are now required to cover at-home, urine-based pregnancy tests.
Regulations on Procedures:
HB 4271 – Illinois residents age 17 or older can have their blood typed if the donation is completely voluntary, without requiring adult permission.
HB 4357 – Establishes protocols for medical spas to perform “non-ablative laser hair removal” without a doctor on the premises.
HB 5530 – Allows pharmacists to administer “long-acting injectables for mental health or substance use disorders” with a prescription.
SB 0860 – Allows individuals with mental health or developmental disabilities living in care facilities to self-administer medications if a nurse trainer signs off on it.
SB 3779 – Authorizes social workers to administer opioid antagonists like naloxone after receiving proper training.
Other:
HB 2601 – Makes changes to custom slaughter of meat products in Illinois, requiring products to be plainly marked as “NOT FOR SALE.”
HB 3046 – Allows the state of Illinois to adopt rules allowing the use of treated wastewater for drinking and allows treated wastewater to be used for irrigation purposes.
HB 3521 – Leadership at all hospital affiliates, instead of just the hospital’s main campus, to report allegations of abuse within 24 hours of receipt.
HB 4848 – Requires trash transportation vehicles to be covered to prevent windblown garbage.
HB 4891 – Prohibits dentists from establishing third-party financing for a patient.
HB 4903 – The state’s Board of Education, in coordination with IDPH, compile resources for schools related to indoor air quality.
HB 5047 – Extends the amount of time nurses can practice in Illinois while waiting for review of their licensing applications.
HB 5087 – Physical therapy services can now be delivered via telehealth platforms.
HB 5394 – Requires schools to provide all teachers, administrators, and other school personnel to be informed of emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver, hands-only CPR, and use of the school district’s automated external defibrillator.
HB 5405 – Any entity or hospital funded by NIH must adopt policies to promote the inclusion of underrepresented demographic groups in any clinical trials it conducts.
SB 1087 – A new informational campaign about the dangers of mold will be produced by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
SB 1089 – All state-owned buildings will be required to install and maintain an adult changing station.
SB 2442 – Hospitals will be prohibited from billing uninsured patients if they qualify for free care under the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, and will require hospitals to provide the patient with information on insurance they may be qualified for.
SB 2643 – An extensive bill related to the custody of human remains, requiring that the deceased individual’s body, body bag, and any body part or organ shall be affixed with a unique identifier, and that a chain-of-custody be established for all human remains.
SB 2644 – Illinois officials will create a registry of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Forms describing a patient’s preferred medical treatment.
SB 2662 – Manufacturers of e-cigarettes can no longer market the devices in ways that are “likely” to cause a parent or guardian to mistake them for a non-tobacco product.
SB 2745 – Requires retailers who sell alcohol to post a sign with the name and phone number of an authorized state alcoholism and substance abuse helpline.
SB 2872 – Allows schools to provide “relaxation activities” to students for at least 20 minutes per week. These activities can include mindfulness training, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, quiet time, walking, and other stress-reducing activities.
SB 2918 – A police officer cannot be fired for a mental or physical disability that is the basis for their benefits application under the state’s pension code for public safety officers.
SB 2933 – This bill makes it unlawful for a consumer reporting agency to create a report containing any adverse information that the agency knows relates to medical debt incurred by a consumer, or collection action against a consumer to collect medical debt. The bill also makes it illegal for agencies to maintain files on consumers containing information related to medical debt.
SB 3116 – Requires Illinois agencies to develop training programs for first responders to access and use medical information stored in cell phones in the event of an emergency.
SB 3201 – Requires police and correctional officers to undergo training on autism-informed responses.
SB 3277 – Requires IDPH to develop protocols and best practices to provide care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
SB 3571 – School districts must have present at a school during the day, and during school-sponsored extracurricular activities, one AED device and one or more trained AED users.
SB 3751 – Creates a Health Outcomes Review Board to review and report data on “equitable health care outcomes, decreased costs, and ensuring quality health care.”
Transportation
HB 4592 – Allows the Secretary of State to issue mobile ID cards and driver’s licenses.
SB 0275 – The Secretary of State’s Office will be required to offer applicants the option to be issued an 8-year driver’s license within the next two years.
HB 5408 – Drivers will be prohibited from stopping or parking vehicles on shoulders of highways within a half-mile radius of the eastern entrance to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
Offbeat
HB 0307 – Athletes in Illinois can now earn NIL compensation directly from universities, and media and residents will be prohibited from obtaining information on how much athletes make in private deals.
HB 1742 – Allows the Regional Transportation Authority to donate locomotives and other equipment to museums and not-for-profit corporations.
HB 4255 – Tow trucks can use green flashing lights while at emergency scenes.
HB 4351 – Cook County residents can hire private process servers rather than being legally required to use sheriff’s deputies for that purpose.
HB 5488 – Illinois will establish a task force aimed at creating a legacy tree recognition program.
HB 5640 – Adds the U.S. Space Force to any reference to the armed forces or armed services of the United States within Illinois laws.
SB 0331 – Requires public universities and community colleges to pay employees their regular pay if campus is closed due to a winter weather emergency.
SB 2747 – Changes the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to maintain a list of exotic weeds, and to allow it to issue permits to buy, sell, or distribute the plants.
SB 3173 – Counties can lease, license, or grant access to infrastructure like fiber optic cables to public or private entities if it helps expedite the delivery of broadband service.
Sb 3407 – Makes changes pertaining to deer meat processing to expand the availability of charitable donations.
SB 3592 – Demands increased transparency in the sale of local media outlets and creates a journalism scholarship program through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Money
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2025, the state and Cook County’s minimum wage will officially increase to $15 an hour for non-tipped employees. Tipped employees will increase to $9 an hour.
Under the provisions of HB 3129, which amended the state’s Equal Pay Act, most Illinois-based businesses will be required to include information on pay scale and benefits on job listings beginning on Jan. 1.
